| Share page |
|
|
|||
|
SUSSEX SMUGGLERS. |
101 |
||
|
|
|||
|
and told them the well was a little further oft1, describing it to them, and told them they could not miss finding it, for it had some white pales by it, and that it was not above 200 yards further, and then Jackson and Carter left them ; that he (the witness) and Tapner, Cobby, Stringer, Hammond, Perryer and Steel, came to the well, got off their horses, and took Chater off his horse, the witness was not certain which ; and either Tapner or Cobby put a cord round his neck; that there was a "shord" in the pales about the well, and he heard Chater say he could get through there, but Cobby or
Tapner said, "D......n you, no; you shall not, you shall
get over"; that Tapner wound the cord round the pales, and Chater being put into the mouth of the well, hung by the neck for about a quarter of an hour, and then they loosened the rope, and turned the body, so that it fell into the well head foremost. They stayed there till some of the company thought they heard him breathe or groan, and then went to get a rope and a ladder at one Combleach's, a gardener ; that they met Jackson and Carter and told them what they had done, and that they were going to get a rope and a ladder, for Chater was not quite dead ; that they all could not raise the ladder; so they- got some old gate-posts and stones and threw them down upon him into the well, and then left him.
The prisoner Hammond desired the witness might be asked whether when they were at Old Mills's, he did not offer to ride away, and make a discovery, but was prevented by the company.
Race said he never heard him say anything about it ; but one of the company, which he believed was Richards, did threaten any of the rest who should refuse to go to the murder of Chater. |
|||
|
|
|||